Vanilla-Flavored Gum (And Other Assorted Flavors)
by Codename-Fawkes
Summary: [Slight AU] Princess Bubblegum, after being rescued and meeting Finn and Jake for the first time, becomes fascinated with the young hero's human nature and lone presence, after The Great Mushroom War nearly led to his species's extinction, as their relationship develops from loyalty to young love. (Constructive criticism is very much appreciated)
1. Intro to Vanilla Bubblegum

**Intro to Vanilla Bubblegum**

The clock that elevated above the master bed stroked at the morning hour, as the paws of the mechanical cat toyed at the pink princess' face. She waved her hand in an attempt the shoo away the machine, acknowledging it that she was awake. Her eyes opened the near-bright light of the sun's rays of as it peered through the windowed openings, the panels open to keep the room cool, brightening the colors that decorated her room.

"I really should have someone install some curtains..." The princess thought out-loud, recalling the times where her eyes squinted upon awakening to the sun's intrusiveness. Of course, on certain mornings, she would be cooped and occupied in her laboratory, tiring herself for the sake of her greatest endeavor: science. This was not one of those cases, though.

Feeling the vibrations of her bed shift, her right side to be exact, she turned her head to her side, greeted by the sight of her young hero, Finn, the human, sleeping peacefully; his hair, blonde and almost absurdly long, spread out along her bed, contrasting with his almost child-like frame. Bonnibel couldn't help but smile as the boy tugged the comforter closer to his face, his expression giving off a serene afterglow.

_"Oh Finn..."_ Her guilt began to set in. She had sworn to herself that she would not let her own personal feelings interfere with her duties as ruler of the Candy Kingdom, even if the sacrifices also meant negating the emotions that teetered between love and lust. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one," she would tell to herself sometimes, as a reminder that the candy people's happiness mattered more than her own.

Of course, she admitted, dealing with such heavy responsibilities had left her feeling a sense of loneliness and isolation. She had thought, for the most part, that science, an insightful tool for the knowledge and secrets of reality and life itself, and the company of her citizens would substitute that feeling, keeping her mind occupied with equations, theories, experiments and the sweetness of her kind subjects; and at times, she felt as if everything was in its right place, that everything operated finely as clockwork.

But the last few nights, and the weeks and months that followed before this moment, she had let her very emotions surpass herself. Maybe it was stress, or a slip-of-the-tongue, or she was simply excusing herself in order to comprehend her _love_ for the young adventurer. But thing was for certain, and she could feel her mind and body confirm this, she did love Finn, and she couldn't lie to herself that she didn't, but she knew that she was much too old for him; and at his age, he wouldn't be able to understand the relationship that he wanted for her and himself. Not that he was incapable of physically loving her, as he had proven to her the other night, with his and her unclothed bodies as evidence of this; but his mind was still developing, from what she had researched on the human anatomy, through textbooks, reasearch and... private studies of his physical body, as his body began to produce the necessary hormones to mature himself into an adult.

And on that note, he wasn't really the best candidate to pick up social ques, lacking a proper civilized manner. _"But then again, maybe that was what made me feel so... infatuated with him."_ Bonnibel let out a small chuckle to herself at that thought, remembering when she met Marceline, and how improper she was. She would recall how she couldn't stand her behavior and the traits that her personality possessed, and yet that didn't stop the both of them from forming such a close bond. "_It seems I have a thing for attracting opposites_.."

* * *

"Mmm..." Finn moaned as he stirred up from his sleep, sitting up on the bed before stretching out his arms. "Good morning, Finny..." Turning to his left, viewing Bubblegum's laid-out, blanketed form, gave Finn a slight blush on his cheeks. "H-hey Princess..." Finn stuttered, a wave of nervousness coming over him as he crossed his legs and placed his hands on his crotch, feeling exposed in front of his "crush".

Bonnibel gave a soft giggle at this, "There's no need to feel embarrassed," the Princess proped herself by resting her right arm beside her chest, shifting her upper-body weight onto her elbow and forearm while her other arm held on to the blankets that covered her breasts, "You've already revealed much of yourself to me, as I have for you, my hero." The hue of Finn's blush grew to a darker shade at this, as he let his muscles relax, his body slumping slightly, as a result.

"Do you mind cuddling with me for a little longer?" Finn's thoughts before this question was on what he would do today, after heading back to the Tree Fort. As the Princess's words came to his ears, though, he felt obligated to take up on her request. After all, he can always go back later; as long as he had no plans for today. And if it meant spending more time with his dream girl, he would cherish it as much as their moment together would last. Laying back down on Bubblegum's bed, Finn scooted next to Bonnibel before putting his right arm around her, "Anything for you, Princess."

_"How sweet,"_ Bonnibel thought, _"I should be careful not to take advantage of his gestures, though."_ Knowing Finn for this long, he can be as delicate as he can be hardy.

Finn felt a kiss being placed on his head after snuggling his left cheek in between Bubblegum's breasts, as Bonnibel ran her fingers through Finn's locks, before the two slipped into their own subconsciousness. However, while the new lovers slept in each others arms, a blue face peered from the right-most window, with a nose long enough to reach over the window sill, as the sun gave away the shadow of his presence, along with the crown that rested upon his head.

_"Curses!"_ The Ice King thought, _"That meddlesome boy took my babe away! I'll make him pay for stealing one of my possible, many wives!"_

Then, an idea sprang from his balding noggin, "Wait," the Ice King spoke out loud, "I'm feeling a creative brainstorm coming to me! Yes, that's it!"

The Ice King let go of the outer edge of the window, before taking flight with his beard and flew to his frozen domain in a burst of speed, startling the Gumball Guardians with the sudden change in the velocity of wind. "WHAT WAS THAT?" spoke one of the Guardians in a booming voice, before noticing the ice wizard in the distance. "YOU'RE SLIPPING UP AGAIN." the other Guardian responded to its twin.

As this occurred, the Ice King could feel the new idea for his fan fiction flow and welter around in his head, while his beard flapped along with the birds that kept their distance from the giddy king. "No wonder I was in such a writer's block! What my story needed was romance and sex! It's all so clear to me now!" The Ice King laughed in maniacal glee, as the rubies in his crown brightened to an intense teal light, before instances of lightning erupted from them, striking various trees and animals into encased blocks of ice.

"Feel my spontaneous brain waves of creativity, everyone! Mwaaahahahahaa!"


	2. Beginnings and Discovery

**Beginnings and Discovery**

It was near noon for the budding adventurers, as the Tree Fort's restoration was near its completion. The process would have been slow and monotonous in its pacing if it weren't for Jake's stretching abilities, including various other perks that came with his power as a Magic Dog, as far as Finn's friend, and brother, had shown him. They would need to remove the worn wooden planks that dotted the elevated structures on the tree's branches, which was surprisingly strong enough to remain at their place, and place them with a more durable and waterproof material, minding the willow tree's long-leaved and drooping limbs, and take out most of the furniture that had broken down or rusted over time, replacing them with what they found from scavenging around Ooo's landscape, which Finn made sure no one had any use for the items at hand, or by venturing through vacant caves, derelict houses/buildings, ominous dungeons and other places that presented significant curiosity for the two.

As of now, both the boy and his dog took rest at a small pond close to the Tree Fort's entrance as a gust of wind blew in their direction; Finn, wiping the sweat off his brow, after removing his precious bear hat from his head while Jake, who sat to his left, meditated with his legs crossed and his paws, which were morphed into hands, forming mudra gestures, as his body mysteriously levitated in the air.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Finn asked Jake.

"I'm meditating so I can connect my mind to the internet." Jake imagined a download status bar in the progress of transmitting data to him for a new dance move before a pop-up interrupted its progress, displaying that the connection had timed out. "D'aww, dang it!" Jake fell down on his caboose before laying back on the grass, "Dial-up sucks, man."

"Maybe you shouldn't eat so much junk and sweets, Jake," Finn suggested, "I know I start to lose focus when I don't get right stuff down my guts," Finn said as he rubbed his stomach and abdomen, "What do you say to that, Jake?"

Jake readied a pizza-and-ice-cream sandwich before his gaping mouth, preparing to take a bite until Finn's question reached his ear, "Say what now?"

Finn rolled his eyes in response before letting out a small chuckle, "You're really adorable when your distracted."

"Hey, I'm not adorable! I'm a rough and rowdy bulldog, and I'm more bombastic than any other poodle or chihuahua combined; and when's the last time you saw a dog turn into something as terrifying as this!" Jake, upon taking slight offense to Finn's words, shape-shifted himself to an almost-doppelganger version of the boy himself, excluding his face and his other doggy features, "Huzzah!".

Finn, however, only laughed out at Jake's attempt at downsizing him, "Hahaha, you're even cuter when you're angry! And you're only making me look even sexier, Jake!"

Jake, reverting back to his normal self, raised his hands in frustration, groaning in defeat. Finn then took his left arm and wrapped it around Jake, bringing him into a side hug. "Hey man, you know I'm just messing around with you, right?" Finn said to Jake, who was pouting with his arms crossed together, "Maybe."

"Come on, you know you can't stay mad at your bro forever, right?" Finn asked as he rubbed Jake's head, seeing a smile slowly grow under his jowls, "Hehe, yeah, your right."

"Hey, why don't we stop by the Candy Kingdom before we go back to working on this tree-house of ours? All this talk has me aching for sweets right about now." Finn stood up from where he sat as he placed his bear hat over his head, "Wait, what about that thing you said about not putting bad stuff down your guts?", Finn raised his eyebrow at this question, "You know I'm still all about sugar, and I know you've got a sweet tooth for the stuff, too, Jake." Finn said, smirking a smirk. Jake the took stance on his hind legs, after jumping to his feet in an excited motion, "Hehe, you've got me there, man! Besides, I wanted to do something else that didn't had a thing to do with housing; so let's do it to it!"

* * *

The duo's travel through the cotton candy forest, with high expectations, was a brief one, since Jake's enlarged size helped made the travel seem all the more smoother; as for the kingdom's inhabitants, upon entering through the open passageway, most were either gathered in small groups, with panicked expressions and talks of what will come of them, or were apart from each other, crying as if someone important or close had passed on or disappeared.

"_Weird,_" thought Finn, "_I wonder what has the Candy people all shook up._"

"Finn, maybe we should come back here another time," Jake told Finn, "This whole scene is bumming me out."

"I don't know, Jake, these people may need our help," Finn said, looking about until his eyes caught site of the Candy Castle, "Maybe someone in there will know what's going on."

The adventurers carefully passed through, making sure not to disturb the kingdom's citizens as they let their grief take its course. Coming up to the double doors of the castle, after climbing a flight of stairs, Finn knocked on the door on the left, which seemed to made out of hardened chocolate. No response came, though. "I don't think anyone's home, man."

"Poop; surely, there's someone here that knows what the flip is going on?" Finn's question was answered when the right door opened inward, revealing a little peppermint man, wearing a tailed-tuxedo.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but the princess is unavail-" The peppermint man then took notice of the duo's appearance, "Excuse me, but do your names happen to be Finn and Jake, by any chance?"

"Yeah...? Who's asking?" Jake asked.

"Oh, by Nightosphere's flames; please, do come in!" The peppermint man waved his hand to gesture Finn and Jake to come inside. The adventurers were already in castle's main hall when the peppermint man closed the door behind them. If the duo had thought before how humongous the castle looked from the outside, the foyer had only presented a slice in to how much room existed underneath its layered walls.

"I apologize on behalf of the candy citizen's current behavior; things have taken quite a sour turn for the kingdom, as of recent."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name." Finn asked the peppermint man.

"It's Peppermint Butler, but formalities aren't important right now, we have an emergency!"

"Emergency?! Please, tell me what happened!" Finn knelled in front of Peppermint Butler so he could meet eye-to-eye with the peppermint man, as far as his height would allow.

"Our benevolent ruler, Princess Bubblegum, has not been seen or heard from in days; I had to inform the Candy citizens of her absence, and as you've seen from outside, they haven't taken the news quite that well."

"Do you know who would have wanted to take the Princess away from here?"

"I had gone to the Princess' chambers to awaken her for her morning duties when I felt a sudden chill come over me. When I opened her door, the room had traces of ice that either melted away or was encasing her possessions; so I suspect that the Ice King had his hand in this! "

"Oh great, it's this old geezer again." Jake spoke out, "We just beat this guy's buns out last week when he kidnapped Raspberry Princess; this dude is totally bazonkers!"

"And it looks like we'll have to teach this psycho again to stop stealing princesses!" Finn declared, punching his open hand with his fist.

"He seems more like a sociopath, if you ask me." Jake stated on the wizard's psyche.

"Whatever, man; a kidnapper is a kidnapper, and we've got another princess to save! Come on, Jake!" Finn charged for the double door, his hands taking hold of the door's handles and pulled with all the strength his young body could exert; which, unfortunately, wasn't very much. "Here, let big brother help you out;" Jake moved Finn a few feet behind him, taking his place as he wrapped his "hands" around the handles, "you've got to put your shoulders and back into it, like this!" Pulling the doors open, himself, Jake released his grip as the both of them slammed into the walls, leaving dents from where the handles impacted, as they left for the Ice Kingdom once again.

* * *

From the grasslands and onto the ice mountains, the travel had been a silent one, with the exception of Finn's questions on the tactics for their rescue mission, "...and if he has her locked in the cell, I can distract that geezer while you break the princess out; or did you want to do it the other way around?" Finn asked for Jake's opinion, "I don't know, why don't I just smash into his place and maw him down, so we don't have to keep dealing with this guy?" Jake responded to Finn's plan, "Dude, we're supposed to be heroes, not vigilantes; and we have a reputation to hold up, remember?" Finn often wondered how Jake's mind could delve into such grim ideas, and why, "It's just an idea, man. I mean-" Finn grabbed Jake's right ear and lifted it, "Jake, we are not killing the Ice King! Not now, not ever!" Finn yelled into Jake's ear opening, "Alright, alright; forget I said anything!"

"Hey Jake, do you ever wonder what Princess Bubblegum looks like?" Finn asked Jake, "I don't know, she'll probably just be a big gumball or something; why do you ask?" "I'm just curious, is all, about how she looks and everything; we've never really been asked by the Candy Kingdom to help with their biz until now; and-" Jake interrupted with a titter, "And you're wondering if she's got "the right stuff", eh?" Finn blushed at this, "Wha-? N-n-n-no; I-I mean, it-it's not like I thought the other princesses were _bad_ looking or anything like that, it's just-" "Hey, I'm not judging you man, I understand where you're coming fro-" In an instant, a long-bodied being, its fur resembling a rainbow during a rainy day, sped off towards the direction they took, distracting Jake from finishing his sentence, "What was that?" "I think that was a rainicorn, Finn."

* * *

Bonnibel felt a shiver run down her spine as she continued to shake from the freezing atmosphere. The ice mountains was not the most ideal place for her, especially as she considered her situation; being held, against her will, in a hollowed out peak where the Ice King called his home, as she had always found herself when in the company of the mad wizard. In the least, he could have given her a blanket and something more appetizing to eat other than leftover pizza. She could only hope that her bubblegum skin didn't harden from the bitter cold while she waited for either her trusted steed and friend, Lady Rainicorn, or someone or anyone else to rescue her from the Ice King's clutches, if word had spread across of her recent kidnapping.

"Wenk!"

Bonnibel heard the familiar sound of one of Ice King's many pet penguins, Gunther. "_Always the same name for them, even when he pronounces it differently._" Bubblegum thought. "I already told you, Gunther, not while I have guests over!" "_Here he comes again._" And on cue, the Ice King arrived into his living quarters; where he had been was unknown to Bonnibel, as she had never explored the wizard's castle, herself. Gunther followed the Ice King close behind, continuing with its calls for attention. The Ice King briskly turned around to face Gunther, his hands at his hips. Even from here, with each motion the King took, she could hear his joints crack, or possibly his brittle bones, making her shudder at the sounds they produced.

"How many times do I have to repeat myself, Gunther? My answer is final; and if I see you lay one flipper on my stuff again, I'll slap you so hard, you won't remember why you followed me in the first place!"

"Weeenk..." The penguin hung its head low before retreating back from where it had exited before.

"Hehe, sorry you had to see that; sometimes you have to give these guys the old mental-aggressive treatment for them to listen to you. I wouldn't harm a single feather on them, though, unless I have to." The Ice King walked up to the cell, his tunic giving him the illusion as if he were hovering, with a slight waver, "But now that that's taken care of, we'll have all the time to ourselves!" His clawed hands took hold of the iron-cast bars, "And I've got so much planned for us, too! We can play some party games, talk about our feelings and have our own special little "dates"! Won't that be fun, Princess?" Bonnibel could see the Ice King's sharp teeth plainly as he smiled at his plans, "_Oh Glob, please give me the strength to endure this torture._"

"나는 여기에서 공주입니다!" A voice that spoke in foreign words erupted from the distance; a signal that Bonnibel's hopes hadn't completely been in vain, and an intruder in the eyes of the Ice King, who shot out an icy bolt from the magic that flashed from his hands, to where the rainicorn's voice echoed from, "Back off, sweet stuff; I got dibs on her first!" And with that, the Ice King took to his position at his lair's entrance as he unleashed his powers at the rainbow steed, with little to no success, as Lady repeatedly dodged each incoming attack, to and fro. "_She won't be able to evade his offenses for long. __There must be a way he can be distracted; __or something that can negate his powers long enough to-_"

"Hey Ice King!" This time, another voice arose from the heated assault, a shout of such vigorous youth and intense focus, "Huh?" The Ice King looked below as his face was met with the impacting force of a boot-covered foot, the magenta theme contrasting with the yellow furred leg that wore it. The wizard was knocked a few feet back, his crown flying off before he fell on the frozen floor with a hardening thud, causing him to moan in pain from the damage that had been done. "Nice punch, man!" The same voice spoke again, an octane lower now.

The princess stood up and approached her side of the cell, curious as to who else had came to her rescue, if that was the intention. She could make out the stranger's appearances, as they rose up in view through the lair's entrance; a dog that resembled a pit-bull and a boy who couldn't of been older than twelve or thirteen, at the most. The boy was the first to enter, lunging through before recovering with a front-roll, while the dog stayed behind, possibly to keep Lady company. Bonnibel took note of the boy's clothing; a yellow sweater, blue shorts, blacks shoes with curled-ankle socks, a green backpack and a white fur hat. The princess had expected him to be a humanoid or a hybrid-species, that is, until the boy came to where the princess stood.

"_Wait... there aren't any abnormalities in his skin or body, or __any__ mutations, __whatsoever__. __He's..._"

"Are you okay, Princess?"

"_...human..._"


	3. Celebration Time

**Celebration ****Time**

A party had commenced in the Candy Kingdom in celebration of the princess's return. While all the candy citizens danced, with shouts, expressions and movements of a joyous urge, the princess and the hero ate in private in the dining hall; Jake, on the other hand, was outside on the peanut-brittle streets, partying with the rest of the candy people, as the sounds of fireworks and music could faintly be heard. The rescue had proven to be a success, with little complications; of course, the Ice King swore to them that he would come back for his "beloved Bubblegum", as they left for the grasslands and into the candy forest. As a '_token of her gratitude_', Bonnibel invited both Finn and Jake to her kingdom as honorary guests, and requested their presence for a dine, in their name.

Finn felt enthusiastic about the invite, having only seen the princess once in his whole life, he could feel the muscles in his heart race with every thought he had about her, something he had never experienced before, or ever. Jake was reluctant at first, but gave in for the sake of his brother, not wanting to ruin the kid's chances with his first crush, "_As long as it doesn't get too weird,_" Jake thought. A party was held close to the evening, approximately 7:30 to be precise. Upon entering into castle's outer-grounds , Finn and Jake were greeted with cheers and the lots of smiles, excitement and tears of gratefulness.

"It's the hero who saved our princess!" a grape popsicle guy spoke out, followed by the majority of the candy citizens gathering near the boy and his dog. The first to approach Finn was a large cinnamon bun man, with a smile that almost seamlessly aligned with the swirl on his face, or his body, who proceeded to shake the kid's hand, leaving behind his sticky coating, "Thank you for saving the princess, Finn!" "Even Strachie is grateful, too!" Finn turned to see a little malt ball man, with the thickest mustache he'd ever seen, wearing a blue custodian hat, "Now I won't have to finish digging that spot up at the royal grave site!"

"Haha, thanks guys, but it couldn't have been done without this guy here!" Finn patted the top of Jake's head, "Yeah, I was all *******BAM!*,** right in his face; then I grabbed his leg and put him in a submission hold; and boy was he bawling for me to let him go!" Jake demonstrated his moves on what the Ice King experienced, much to the candy people's fascination.

"Jake! Jake!" two voices called out in unison, revealing themselves to be two mini-gum-drop gals. "Is it true that you can change your body to any shape?" spoke the pink gum-drop lass. "I sure can! Just watch and feast your eyes!" Jake focused his power to shift from his normal build to that of a body-builder, his height towering others as he flexed his thick and bulging muscles. An audible "ooh" could be heard from the crowd as the gum-drop gals giggled like school-children, "See, I told you he could!" the blue gum-drop lass said to her friend.

"Alright, big guy, you ready to head to PB's dinner thing with me?" Finn asked Jake, "Nah man, I'm gonna hang out here for a bit," Jake said, reverting back to his original shape, "Wouldn't want me to mess with your little "thing" with the princess now; eh?" Jake chuckled with jest as he started to dance to the music that resounded across the candy village, "Come on everyone, shake it like you never shook it before!" "_Not cool, dude._" Finn thought before going on his way.

* * *

Finn took to the Princess' castle and entered through its double doors, feeling unsure of himself and how he would behave. The foyer, or the grand hall, remained as empty as it did with the exception of several banana men, supposedly the guards of the castle, as they remained at their posts. Two other banana guards were positioned at each side of the inner-double doors, "_Maybe one of these banana dudes __k__now__s__ where I need to go,_" Finn had thought before approaching the guard to his right, "Hey, do you know where there's a dining room in this place?" the banana guard thought for a moment, his thumb and index finger rubbing under his mouth, where his chin would be, "Hmm... Oh!" removing his hand from under his bottom "lip", he took his spear and pointed it towards the door in between the one to the left and where the stairs and floor met together, "It should be through there, just keep going straight before turning right, then take a left, then another right and there should be door at the center that leads to the dinner hall." "Cool; thanks man!" Finn took his lead and got to where the banana guard directed, before waving back. "Is that the guy who put the hole in the wall?" the banana guard to the left asked, pointing at the one dent he stood beside; the other guard shrugged at his question.

* * *

The directions proved to be correct as Finn found himself in the castle's dining hall; Bonnibel had waited patiently at the right-most end of dining table, sitting down in a chair specifically designed for her when she caught sight of the human boy coming in, through the center-door to the her left.

"Greetings, Finn! I'm so glad you accepted my invitation!" Bonnibel arose from her seat and sauntered towards Finn, her hands clenching the skirt of her dress, lifting it above her feet. Finn observed her from her bright pink skin to her eccentric white dress with two long pieces of white fabric, both adjusted to varying heights, pinned to two golden halos sowed at the peplum as each end hanged at her thighs, and a gold belt that went around her waist. Her pink hair was clamped at three places, below her buttocks, at her hips and her neck, and her side bangs had been twirled as well, both flowing counter-clockwise. If Finn had thought that she was pretty before, when him and Jake rescued her from the Ice King, she was now even beyond beauty itself.

"You're beautiful, Princess..." Finn thought out-loud. Realizing this, he covered his mouth with both his hands, feeling embarrassed at himself.

Bonnibel giggled at Finn's sudden outburst, "Thank you, Finn; I don't normally wear this dress often, though; only on special occasions. Please, why don't you have a seat while I inform the cooks of your arrival?"

Luckily for Bonnibel, the convenience of technology helped minimize the time and energy spent on her duties and actions as princess of the Candy Kingdom, as she walked to the intercom installed at the side of the door, behind her chair, "Manfried, can you tell the cooks that Finn has arrived?" "Will do, princess!" came a high and homely voice. Bonnibel proceeded back to her chair, pulling it out before she began to rub her fingers in between one of the seamed indentations of its aesthetic design, analyzing each detail her eyes could scan across.

"_This... doesn't feel right to sit in._"

"Finn, do you mind if I sit next to you?" Bonnibel asked Finn, who was already seated.

"N-no, I don't mind, Princess."

* * *

"So how long have you been active in this "venturing" business of yours?", Bonnibel asked Finn, "Not very long," Finn said in between bites of his spaghetti, "Me and Jake figured it be something to do after we moved out of Mom's place, and it had to be something different than what my bro was doing back then."

"Oh; and what might that have been?" "Well," Finn hesitated, "odd jobs, mostly; but here and there he'd have his paws deep in criminal stuff; he even had his own gang, at one time, for heists and all that junk. It got pretty bad at one point, but he's cool now." "I see," Bonnibel said, "is that why he isn't here with us?" "Oh no, it ain't like that, he just has a different thing going on. I mean, he likes to party and be laid back, but not anything too bad."

"I.. think I understand.." The two ate in silence for the next few minutes, before an idea came to Bonnibel. "Finn, did your mother or father ever talk to you about... where you came from?" "Huh? You mean.. how they found me?" "Not exactly; I mean did they ever discuss with you about your... "nature"?" Finn's mind drew a blank at this question, "_What does she mean by "my nature"? I've never been asked this question... oh Grob, what do I say?!_" "I-I don't think I understand, Princess."

"_Crap; I didn't think his parents would tell him. Maybe it's time that he knew, to prevent confusion._" At this thought, Bonnibel took her hand and softly grabbed Finns', registering another blush from his cheeks, "Why don't I show you what I mean, instead?"


	4. Out of Many, One

**Out of Many, One**

"Be careful with that stuff, Finn, just one drop of it on your skin and it'll burn right through it; faster than you can say "it stings"." Finn placed the test tube, with its now apparent acidic properties, back in the tube-rack, where other unnamed chemicals were held. Finn had never seen a laboratory before, and from the sight of the many pieces of equipment, charts, substances and other items he didn't recognize, he could see how someone can make a living out of it, even if he didn't understand what "science" really was. "_Maybe I can ask her about all this sometime._" Finn thought.

"Here we go!" Bonnibel pulled out a book from the top shelf, a little worn but still compact; "_**Advanced Human Studies: 2**__**nd**__** Edition, First Printing**_"; the author wasn't listed, and was a more-than-so sizable piece of source material. "This should suffice enough to explain your species evolution and history!" "_Crud;__ I didn't think I was going to be reading this!_" Bonnibel noticed the color of Finn's face turning pale, "Do you.. know how to read?" "I... I've only read signs and maps, and watched tapes most of my life, Princess..." "...I'm sorry, I didn't know you couldn't-." "It-It's cool, Princess."

"_Oh dear, I must of embarrassed him._" Bonnibel thought. "Hey... why don't I read this out to you and help you look through it?" "You don't have to do that, Princess." "Please, I insist; also, I forgot that this was the German edition. I don't remember where I placed the translated edition of the book, though, but this will do as well."

* * *

"... And this is a diagram on how humans sexually reproduce to make offspring!" Bonnibel always felt thrilled when she could share her knowledge, either hers or whatever else she had collected over the years, with other minds curious enough to want. For Finn, on the other hand, while the information was insightful, he couldn't help but feel slightly disturbed at how forward Princess Bubblegum was, especially concerning the parts she exclaimed aloud to him. Still, he did find it fascinating to learn more about who and what he was, as his own parents were never exactly clear on these kinds of questions; including why he looked so different from his family and his brothers, Jake and Jermaine.

"So how far does this book go?" Finn asked, "Pretty far; there are other successions following this copy, but it's getting harder to find those copies nowadays. Either most of them were destroyed or are in private collections, and it can cost a hefty price to acquire one or so; and there's not that many pre-war ruins left to explore for books like these." "Huh," Finn noted, taking in whatever information he could, "how long have you been looking into this kind of stuff?" "...Long enough."

"So you know more about humans than anyone else?" "I wouldn't say that, but I like to consider myself an astute follower of this line of research." "Do you... do you think there's any more humans in Ooo... like me?" Bonnibel didn't know how to answer a question like that. Throughout her living years, as far as she could remember, her encounters with the human species were very few, and she was certain that they were already dead long by now; but humanity as a whole, she was unsure as to how many existed at this moment in time. For Finn, she could only hope that he wasn't the last of his kind. "I... I don't really know, Finn, to be honest." "Wha-what do you mean, Princess?" "I mean I haven't encountered another human specimen here until I met you, Finn; and as of right now, I don't know how many members of your species are even left in Ooo."

"_Oh fudge__.. this is... this is some heavy stuff to deal with,_" Finn's expression turned to a disheartening frown, feeling as if a new weight was being added on to his thoughts, as he contemplated his very own existence, "_What if... what if I'm just one of the few, or the last? What if I really __am__ all that is left of my kind? This... this can't be so... __I__ can't be.._" Finn could feel his eyes swell as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Finn immediately covered his left eye with his open left hand, feeling shameful for the sadness he had now revealed to Bubblegum. "..Finn? Are you.. Oh Finn, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to say it like that! I was just-"

"It-***sniff***-it's f-fine, Princess; I-I-I..." Finn couldn't finish his sentence as he began to break down into tears. His broken sobs strung at Bonnibel's heart strings, "_My Gob... what have I done?_" Finn could only close his eyes as he let his melancholic episode pass him by, until he felt himself become being held into a firm embrace, "Pr.. Princess?" "It's alright Finn, just let it all out..." Finn wrapped his arms around Bonnibel as he cried into her shoulder, in what felt like hours at a time, as she stroked her hand along Finn's hat. She would whisper into his ear every few minutes, giving him comfort and assurance until she felt his feelings begin to subside, "Finn... you want to.. come with me to my room and relax for a bit?" "I-I don't know." "It's the least that I can do; I'll even make some tea for you; and it's a special blend of mine, too. Would you like that?" "Ye-yeah, sure." "Here, let me clean you up before we go, you left some clean trails on your dirty little cheeks." Finn chuckled at this, "Haha; o-okay, Princess."


	5. Renascent Feelings

**Renascent Feelings**

Finn took another sip of his tea, feeling its calming effects take its course, as the ingrediants in the drink absorbed into his blood stream. "Wow... this is really good, Princess! How did you make this?" "It's simple, actually," Bonnibel said, as she sat on her bed, next to Finn, removing the last heeled-shoe from her right foot, "it's a mixture of fine sugar, a teaspoon of pixie essence, a drop of dragon's blood for a little spice, some honeydew extract, a one-sixteenth measurement of dried, grounded herbs from a cannabis plant and a packet of camellia leaves, after undergoing minimal oxidation during processing, of course. Sometimes I make myself a cup of this when I feel overwhelmed, or when I need to sleep." "It tastes really sweet... but.. I feel a little funny, though." "That's likely the cannabis you're feeling; the pixie essence helps bring it out faster. Have you ever tried the herb on its own, yourself?" "N-.. not really.." "Not really...?" "Well.. when me and Jake used to live with our parents, before our Dad..." Finn paused himself for a minute after mentioning his Dad, the memory of him briefly passing him by, "...anyway, my other brother, Jermaine, used to make these "space brownies" that were out of this world; the first time I had one was when he asked me if I wanted something sweet to eat while our parents were away for the week. He gave me this one piece that looked dry, but it started tasting better after a few bites. I zonked out a few minutes after I ate it, though; but that stuff might have been what was in it." "Well, how do you feel now?" Bonnibel asked, "I-I feel like I'm melting on a stack of pancakes..." Finn responded, laying back on Bonnibel's bed after finishing his cup, with a slightly glassy look in his eyes, "but.. I feel... really happy.." Bonnibel snickered at this, "You know what Finn, I think I might help myself to a cup!"

* * *

The party, along with the music and fireworks, had already began to cease as the candy citizens, one by one, returned to their homes and slept for the night. Jake, on the other hand, was still recovering from his exhaustive dance moves, his muscles aching from what can now be considered an exercise, "_Man, these guys knew how to_ _party!_" Jake took in a deep inhale, than exhaled, feeling sweat running down his skin, soaking into his fur, "_I'm going to be sore all over in the morning; I better go and find Finn!_"

* * *

While Jake ran, as much his hind legs could allow, back to the castle's entrance, Bonnibel was giggling away at one of Finn's stories of his ventures as she finished her cup of tea; "...then a dragon complained about his butt being itchy; a frog and these little electro-dudes wanted their stuff back from each other; then this weird old wizard guy was dancing around with a staff, going on about being naked; which was really weird." Bonnibel laughed aloud at this, "You didn't look at his junk, did you?" "Ulgh; no way! That would have messed my brains up even more!" "Hehe, so how did you resolve their problems?" "Well, it wasn't easy, but I had the marauders roughhouse with these strings attached to their limbs, so their moves could move these chimes we crafted above them and it swatted away those flies away from the fish's mother, then it made the music these mushroom guys could dance to, and everything else actually worked out really well.. until a dolphin fell in love with Jake.."

"Hahahahaha!" Bonnibel had to regain her composure after nearly laughing her lungs out at the conclusion of Finn's story, "I must say, Finn, you seem very dedicated to helping others, and so selflessly at that, too." "Yeah, well, I try my best; I just like helping people so they can be happy, you know?" "Oh, I understand completely, Finn. Everyday, as the sole ruler of this kingdom, I look out for my citizens' own well-being while I help to keep them satisfied with their lives here." "Is it something you like doing?" Bonnibel sighed at this, "...You know, sometimes.. I really wonder if I'm ever doing the right thing for everyone here." "Wha.. what do you mean, Princess?" "I mean... I do what I can to help keep this kingdom peaceful and prosperous; and through all the things that I've done, the sacrifices I've made and what I've had to overcome; and yet, I feel.. like I haven't accomplished anything at all. I should feel better knowing my people are safe from the dangers across Ooo, within these kingdom walls; but how can I feel safe when after all, I'm the only candy person here that's capable of abstract thinking, more than enough to represent this land; and there's very few people that I can entrust my power and responsibilities to, and even if I did, how will I know if my citizens will be satisfied with whomever succeeds in my place? I just... I just don't know what else I can do without giving pieces of myself away ..."

"Princess... are you.. unhappy here?" "I... I guess I am..." Bonnibel continued to stare at the ceiling, sighing wearily. Finn, who laid beside her, adjusted to his right side, "Hey.. would you like it if... if I came back here tomorrow, or later? We can talk more about this human biz; and.. maybe we can hang out together... and all that math." "...Well, I would have to see to it if I have anything important which requires my attention, but.. yeah, I'd really like that." "Cool; cause.. I really like spending time with you, Princess, and... I think you're really nice and everything." "Thank you Finn, you're a pretty rad dude, yourself." "Haha, thanks Princess. Hey... remember when you gave me that kiss right here;" Finn pointed to his forehead, "after me and Jake took you back here with Lady?" "Of course, Finn; why do you ask?" "Can.. can I give you a kiss back?"

Bonnibel was taken aback by Finn's question, one that she wasn't expecting so soon. "_Oh boy, what do I do now? __I don't want to hurt his feelings, but... I really care for him, too. This.. this is all so sudden, and.. and..._" Bonnibel sighed mentally, "_I__'ll do it.. for Finn and myself..._" "Sure, Finn... have... have you ever kissed before?" "You mean like... on the cheek or somewhere?" Well, no; but.. I mean, have you ever kissed anyone on the lips before?" "N-no, I haven't." "Here," Bonnibel moved closer to Finn, their faces inches away, "just take your mouth and press it against mine, like this." Bonnibel proceeded by placing her lips on Finn's, keeping them there for a few seconds, or so, before breaking away. "Alright Finn, now you try." Finn felt paralyzed by Bubblegum's sudden smooch, feeling a new sensation course through his young body, almost nearing the verge of hyperventilating. "_A-alright Finn, just pull yourself together and__ do it._" Finn eventually followed up on Bubblegum's advice and gave a not-too-firm kiss on her lips, holding out as long as he could, before he broke away to catch his breath. "_I hope I didn't mess that up."_

"_Wow... he's a fast learner..._" Bonnibel had never felt a kiss like that in a _very_ long time; and already, she could feel her body and face tingle with delight as her heart raced at such a fast pace. "Ho-.. How was that, Princess?" Finn asked, anxiously tense on Bubblegum's answer, "Th-that was.. really nice, Finn..." "Well, I learned from the best!" "Oh Finn, you silly boy!"

* * *

"Fiiiiiiiiiinnn! Where are you, man, it's time to head on home! Fiiiiinnn!" A familiar voice called out, alerting Finn and Bonnibel. "Aww snap! I forgot all about Jake!," Finn grabbed the strap of his backpack from Bubblegum's left side of her room, beside her bed and left-most nightstand, from their perspective. "I better split from here before he gets all worried. I'll see you later, Princess!" Finn gave a quick peck on Bubblegum's left cheek before running to her chamber door and exiting through, closing it behind him. Bonnibel could still hear his feet tap against the tower's stairs as he paced himself down, each footstep becoming more distant until the sounds ceased. Bonnibel stayed on her bed for a few more minutes, her mind processing what had happened before as she exhaled contently, feeling as if there were butterflies in her stomach before she realized she was still in her dress, "_I better change out of this __attire__._"


	6. Late-Night Reflections

**Late-Night Reflections**

"Soooo... How was it?" "How was what?" "You know, that little dinner party you had with Bubblegum?" "Oh; it was pretty math," Finn laid down another layer of creature skins on his wooden bed frame, as Jake took rest on his bed, in a blanketed open drawer of a cabinet, "Peebs and I talked for a real long time." "Heehe, yeah, I bet you did." "What's that supposed to- Ugh, Jake; It wasn't just like that! I only talked about our adventures, is all." "Hahaha, man, you're really- Wait," Jake caught on to Finn's slip-of-the-tounge, "did I hear a "just" in there?" Jake asked, raising an eyebrow. "Huh?" Finn acknowledged, "Uhh... n-no, I-I don't know what you're talking about, Jake!" Jake gasped in realization as he saw through Finn's wavering fib, recognizing his sudden defensive behavior, "So there was something going on between you two!" "N-n-no! I-I mean-" Finn sighed, knowing he couldn't lie his way out with Jake. "..Yeah... you've got me.." Finn flopped down on his bed, the frame squeaking from the added weight of his body. "Wooah!" Jake stretched his lower body and feet to Finn's bedside, his upper body and head following behind, doing his best to ignore the pain from his tender and aching muscles, "Dude, you've got to tell me all about it!" "I don't know Jake, you won't make a big deal out of it, will you?" "No way, bro, I would never do that to my homie," Jake raises his right "hand" up, "I'll even swear it on my own name; and my face, too!" "Haha, okay man, put your paw down and I'll tell you..."

* * *

Bonnibel awoke abruptly from the middle of her sleep with a deep gasp, feeling her near-soaked nightgown sticking to her skin, with an apparent moistness in and underneath her panties. Sitting herself up on at the edge of her bed, Bonnibel wiped away the sweat from her forehead as she recollected what it was that she had dreamed of. She recognized it as a "wet dream", or a nocturnal emission, as its idiosyncrasies vividly began to stand out for her, the more she focused on its imagery, "_Di-... did I.. dream about Finn... and I..._" Bonnibel could not believe it herself; she dreamed she was committing the act of coitus with the human boy. "_Wh__.. Why did I... Th-this is just wrong! I shouldn't... I shouldn't be..._" Bonnibel brought her open hands to her face, whimpering under her breath, ".._I-I need someone to talk to.. __right now...__ But.. no one's up at this hour; unless..._" Only then, did a certain name come to her thoughts. "Marceline..."

* * *

"_**Your blood thickens as you hear me calling you; you cower away, but you know the end is coming soon; your hands begin to shake, your mind begins to break-**_"

The sound of the telephone ringing interrupted Marceline's vocal concentration on her recording, "_Damn it; who could be calling me at this hour?_" She laid her ax bass up against her couch, not bothering to turn off her amp, and answered the phone. "Vampire Queen's residence," Marceline greeted in irritation, "who am I speaking to?"

"Ma.. Marcy?"

".._Is that..?_" "Bonnie?"

"Hey.. It's been a while."

"Heh, yeah, it sure has; so what's up?"

"Could you.. could you come over real quick?"

Marceline could sense something was wrong, by the tone of Bonnibel's voice. "Sure, Bonnie; is there something wrong?"

"Just... come over.. please, I-I don't think can-"

"Okay, okay; I'll be over there soon."

"Th-thank you, Marcy."

"Don't mention it."

***click***

Marceline placed the telephone back in its receiver. "_That was odd. __I wonder what's eating away at Bonnibel this early._"

* * *

Feeling a cool slither of air flow around her, Bonnibel crossed her arms together, embracing herself in an attempt to keep her body warm as she remained where she sat, occasionally wiping away the tears that welled from her eyes, her eyelashes now uncomfortably wet. As she shuttered out a sigh, an instant breeze blew through the over-watch, one which connected to her chamber. "_She's here..._" Bonnibel thought in anticipation, feeling _her_ presence in this very room.

"Long time, no see, Bonnie!"

The candy princess turned her head to her right, her eyes catching sight of the vampire queen, dressed in a cool-gray tank-top, dark-blue jeans and red boots, all faded and dull to an extant; and for once in her life, Bonnibel had almost expected to be surprised by one of her shadowed scares. But, if Marcelines's announced entrance, and the previous telephone call between the two had given her any amount of indication, the time for jest had already passed, for now.

"Mar-Marceline..." Bonnibel stood herself up, feeling her chest quench on the inside as fresh tears ran down from her reddening eyes. Marceline's soft smile turned to a saddened look, her senses having been confirmed, "Bonnie... why-?"

Marceline's question was never finished, as Bonnibel had already brought her into a hug, crying as she tried to say the words, 'I missed you, Marcy.' "Shhh... I missed you too, Bonnie, but.. I'm here now..." Marceline comforted Bonnibel as she hugged her back, rubbing her back as she stroked her bubblegum hair with the same hand.

* * *

"So when did you meet this dude and his dog friend?" "Well, it was while I was in the company of the Ice King, again-" "And Simon still comes after you, after all these years; I'm surprised he hasn't gone all the way with you yet." "Eww, don't even joke like that! The thought of myself, under all.. _that_..." Bonnibel shuddered in disgust, "it-it just makes me feel nauseous." Marceline chuckled to herself as Bonnibel changed out of her nightgown and panties. "Yeah, well, let's just say a little bat told me he's been dieting and working out so he can 'sway' you with his 'mad-abs." "Yeah, and I suppose pizza is a key to weight loss."

"Haha, well, sometimes he just forgets the things he says, altogether." Bonnibel laid back on her bed with Marceline, now dressed in pink-spotted pajama bottoms and a black T-shirt. Marceline noticed the design on the front side; two marshmallow-men heads pierced separately on spear-like sticks that appeared to be strangling a yellow snake, in shallow waters, with a pine-tree forest backdrop.

"You.. still have have the shirt gave you?" "Yeah, I wear it all the time, as pajamas." "Really... I always thought it looked nice on you." "Thanks, Marcy!" "Hey," Marceline placed her arm around Bonnibel's shoulders, before laying a soft kiss on her cheek, "I always know how to cheer up my bubblegum girl, don't I?" Bonnibel blurted out a laugh, "That's really corny, even for you."

* * *

"Did anything else happen after they rescued you?" "I invited the two to dine with me, but only Finn showed." "And that's the human, right?" "Right; and we talked for quite a while, too; then I took him to my lab with me and picked out one of my Humanities books for him read to him, so he could have the knowledge of his species, and... he asked if there were any of his kind left." "...How did he take it?" "N-not very well; it was.. very heartbreaking to see him break down so badly, like a small child who's been told that his parents had died. And... I had never felt so much guilt like that in such a long time; I needed to comfort him, not because I had to, but... it was like... like I had a new responsibility to uphold, not only for him but for myself, as well."

Bonnibel turned away from Marceline, "And... I may have taken it too far..." Marceline raised an eyebrow at this, "Why do you say that?" "Well, when I brought him up here with me, I made some tea for the both of us-" "Oh, Bonnie, you didn't give him any of that pot tea, did you?" "...Yeah; I did." Marceline laughed aloud at this, "Hahahaha! Oh wow, I bet he was tripping out of his mind!" "Hehe; well, he did, for a bit... but.. it went a little.. further than that..." "...How far?" Bonnibel didn't say anything for the next few minutes, her answer swelling up at her throat. "...Marceline... If I told you what I did, would you hold it against me?" "_Hmm..._" Marceline thought, feeling concerned and suspicious for her friend. "Bonnibel... we've known each other for as long as a millennia; you can tell me anything, but you have to turn around and do it, for the both of us." Bonnibel followed as so, reluctant to look into Marceline's eyes, "Look up here, Bonnie." Bonnibel lifted her head, coming up face to face with Marceline, staring into her deep red eyes, "Now, tell me... did you.. fuck him?" "No, of course not! I couldn't do that to someone after I just met them!" "Alright, alright, chill Bonnibel; I just wanted to know." "Oh... sorry Marcy." "It's fine, Bonnie; so what did you do?" "I... I kissed him." "That's it?" Marceline said incredulously, "Not exactly... I was teaching him to kiss me on my lips, and... I got.. _aroused_ when he kissed me back.."

"Ooooh, I see how it is; your new savior's caught your fancy! Looks like you've entered into your own medieval love story, Bonnie!" "Marcy, this is serious! I just had a wet dream about him; this has nothing to do with romance!" "Maybe not right now, but I can definitely see you guys making such a cute couple!" Marceline couldn't help but laugh at every time she teased Bonnibel, "Marceline, this is much more complicated than just some.. fantasy of the mind! He's only known me for only a day or two, and I've only touched upon the surface of his own psyche and nature, and.. I feel so conflicted, to have this new sense of affection.. for someone so young..." "Come on Bonnie, he can't be too young; what is he, like sixteen; fifteen?" "He's twelve..." "Oh, wow; I didn't know you were into dudes _that_ young. I bet if I was that young, you wouldn't be able to keep your hands off my little body; now, would you?" "Don't be so obscene! I... I didn't choose to feel this way about him; it just.. happened to me so suddenly, and.. I don't know how I'll be able to deal with this! What am I going to do, Marceline?!" "Bonnibel..." Marceline rubbed her left hand on Bonnibel's right forearm, "just relax.. and don't fret out so much; if you really like him, the most you can do is to let him get to know you a little more.. make him feel like you're letting him in.." "..I-I don't know if I can do that, Marcy; what if I tell him.. how old I really am?" "Don't worry about that right now; if that ever comes up, just lay it on him lightly; I know how bold you can be when it comes to telling the truth." "Hehe.. yeah... I guess I can try; but.."

"But what...?" "I.. I still love you, Marceline..." Marceline chuckled with a smile before giving Bonnibel an enticing kiss by surprise; her snake-like tongue rubbing against the roof of her mouth, sending Bonnibel's thoughts into a disarray. Marceline ended the kiss by removing her lips from Bonnibels', her tongue following suite, "And I still love you, my princess..."


	7. Remember a Day, I

**Remember a Day, ****I**

In a uncharted part of Ooo, a field of wildflowers had grown to a bountiful height; the tallest ones having either red or pink petals, each one loosely curled against each other. The aroma that each single flower emitted were carried away by a slow and calming breeze. The wind had traveled far, bringing the flowers' scent along with it, to a not-too-distant bee colony.

From one and to the next, and into many, the bees took flight to find the source of their attraction and disturbance, leaving behind their fellow bees and their queen, the functions of their everyday lives consistent to, and for, the livelihood and security of their royal matriarch for which their ruler bestowed onto them and their successors; their front and rear wings beating together as the hamuli connected at the grooves as they sped to their destination. And before their sights was a field of flowers they had sought for, or perhaps, it was where the wildflowers had _magnetized_ them to; and one-by-one, the bees basked in their intoxicating fragrance as they gathered the small bits of pollen with the tiny hairs on their bodies, while others stuck their stingers into their stigmas or collected the nectar through the tubes inside their tongues.

After finishing with collecting their necessities, they flew onward and returned to their colony, their birthplace and their eventual grave, and so on and so forth; while the flowers remained where they directed themselves, their scent would continue to spread along the lands to which it could reach out, for as long as the winds would allow. And has it always been the law of nature for their to be balance within and between the seasons of nature, as we look upon each new solstice by which we fulfill our every-year functions, where a lone wolfs hunts his prey to satisfy his hunger and ensure his survival, and as a mother bird feeds her children to soothe the aches in their bellies; to a thieving goblin that pickpockets a victim that fits and asserts his probable cause, and a dieing witch who sees before her a luminescent light shining upon her fading vision, its epicenter bursting into vast canvases of shifting colors as a new sensation washes over her as if she were levitating, feeling weightlessness and a renewed sense of freedom as the projections of her increased awareness intensified; "_Is this how I shall be released?_"

A baby is born to a family of humanoid farmers, her newborn screams bellowing through their home as the sun dawned on their plantation; a new day has begun.

* * *

Bonnibel hummed away as she watered her pink shrubs, its yellow and red tulips growing out from above its small leaves and little figs. It was near noon in the Candy Kingdom, clouds dotted across the sky, several having already blanketed the sun. The subtle smell of sugar was present all around as Bonnibel inhaled the fresh air, before exhaling as she looked to the skies once again and watched as large bubbles floated upwards and out into the troposphere, where each one would continue to ascend until they popped from the change in air pressure

"_When was the last time __I saw this place with new eyes?_" Bonnibel thought to herself; she could remember a time, years before the kingdom's existence, when the lands of Ooo were inhabited by various tribes and gangs, each attempting to live with one another with whatever harmony they could achieve for each other; while other, more visceral followers of savagery, raided and pillaged their rivals and victims to strive for their right of might; acts that gave witness to Bonnibel as an emerging chaotic landscape that would only expand and engulf the other realms that continued to develop, or were fertile and vacant of civilized occupation.

Decades, then centuries passed; civilizations rose and kingdoms fell; the lands flourished again as the world of the unknown began to peak along with it, as so; tales of magical to traversal beings, items and locations, rumored among not only her subjects but from her own encounters as well. But for the longest time, Bonnibel dismissed such anomalies, believing there were always logistical explanations and conclusive evidence present to the nature of their existence and being.

With that aside, as her mind resurfaced more memories from her past, Bonnibel could remember each detail that lapsed between her kingdom's formation and what it is now. She could even recall when her candy subjects were merely in their adolescent stage and her banana guards were still green and ripe; when the Gumball Guardians and the Gumball Guards that followed afterword, which were scrapped immediately, were still only ideas, blueprints and pieces of machinery; and...

_"**C-can you promise me.. that.. y-you won't forget about me...?**"_

"_No.. please.. not now..._" Bonnibel thought, mentally waving away the memory of _her_, for another time, perhaps. "Princess," Peppermint Butler's voice interrupted her thoughts, her memories ceasing activity as she brought herself back into reality. "Finn and Jake have arrived." "Oh; thank you, Peppermint Butler, I will meet with them when I'm finished here."

* * *

"Jake, you said you wouldn't make a big deal about it!" "I know what I said, man, but listen; I'm your bro, and bros have to look out for each other, Finn. I just want to make sure she isn't-" "Welcome, Finn and Jake!" Bonnibel entered the grand hall, interrupting the duo's talk with one-another, "I apologize for my delay; I had a few things I needed to attend to." "It's cool, Princess; Me and Jake were just-" Jake elbowed Finn's arm, "Ow; okay, okay! Jake wants to talk to you in private, before he goes over to Lady's." "I see.. well okay, Jake; would you mind following me so we can discuss in secret?"

* * *

"Finn has told me much about you, Jake; if this is about your past "misdemeanors", I can assure you that will not be a problem; however, I can only pardon those that have existing warrants and records within the Candy providence."

"What? I mean; no, that's not why I wanted to talk to you."

"Alright then, so what was it that you wished to speak with me about?"

"..It's about Finn."

"..I-Is there.. something wrong?"

"Oh no, it's not anything serious, it's that, well.. Finn's told me how much likes you and everything; and let me tell you, he's really head-over-heels about it; but.. after we left, he.. told me how you guys spent the night together. But I was the one that budged him about it in the first place; and he isn't that good at lying."

"Oh... I..-I'm sorry Jake, I hope I haven't upset anything between the both of you... it wasn't my intention to-"

"Nah, it's fine, PB; really! It's just that.. ever since our Dad blooped out of the picture, he's had a hard time getting close to other peeps besides me, my brother and Mom; and hearing him goss on about you and all that, well, it's nice to know that he has someone else he can talk and hang with, besides me."

"Th-thank you, Jake... and I'm very sorry to hear about your father... I.. imagine it's been very difficult, looking after of Finn and all."

"Yeah... some days it can get pretty rough, and.. I haven't always been there for him, growing up and all... but that's all in the past; I just do my best to look out for him and make sure he doesn't get hurt. He's my best friend and my brother, after all."

"I can see that you care a great deal for Finn, as much as he does for you... is this.. _why_ you wanted to talk with me?"

"...*sigh* I know Finn's getting older, and he's already starting to notice the ladies in a different way; but he's still just a kid, and I don't know if the other princesses see it that way or not. I guess what I'm trying to say is... Princess.. if you're really serious about.. _being_ with him, I need to know if this is a real-deal kind of thing, or something completely different."

"..."

"...Jake... I don't know how far this relationship will go or what will happen, but please trust me when I say this; I would never use him for any harmful intentions; if I did, or if I had... I-I wouldn't know how to live with myself.. with the thought of what I've-... ***shutters*** I don't want to hurt him, Jake; I just.. I just want to feel what he feels, more than just for me... I'm sorry if it sounds crazy, but... I haven't.. _felt_ this way in-in a long time, to put it in comprehensive terms. And.. in some strange sense, it feels all so familiar to me; and yet I can't explain it."

"..You mean like déjà vu?"

"I... I don't know, Jake, I don't really believe in such phenomenons as that."

"Eh, it's whatevs... Hey, listen, I know Finn a lot more than anyone else; so if, you know, need advice or anything, just come and talk with me."

"Sure... I'll remember that."

"Well, I better head on to Lady's place before I'm late; if anything happens, just give me a ring."

"I'll do that.. and Jake..?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you.. for understanding..."

"No problem, PB! Just take good care of him, okay?"

"I will, Jake... I will."

* * *

As Jake left the confines of the Candy Kingdom, Bonnibel gently pulled out the remaining hair from in-between her white t-shirt and pink hoodie, which would now have to be brushed and tended to. Upon finishing, she reached for her tiara, only for her pause as she gazed at the turquoise gem implanted at its top.

Clasping her hand around the tiara's stem, she covered her other hand over the gem and fiddled with it, removing it in the process. "_What __kind of__ purpose do you pertain; what propert__ies__ do you contain; __what __other secrets __do__ you possess?_" Bonnibel thought as she examined the gem before closing her hand around it, feeling its refined-sphere-shaped design press into her palm.

"_I will know soon enough._" Bonnibel placed the gem into her hoodie's side pocket and placed her tiara back on her dresser, leaving it behind for the first time, in a long time.

* * *

Finn sat on one of the step's platforms in the foyer; his fingers running along the red treads that covered the set from top to bottom. "Hi Finn." The soft and suppressed sound of footsteps preceded Bonnibel's voice, as Finn turned to his left and looked upwards, seeing Bubblegum dressed in a pink hoodie and purple pants, her crown noticeably missing from the top of her head, "Oh, hey Princess; what happened to your crown?" "I left it back in my room. I figured I wouldn't need it for today." "Ooh, okay; that's cool." "Hey Finn, would you like to come with me and go somewhere away from here?" "Sure, I guess; where did you have in mind?" "Well, there's a few places I haven't been to in years, and they're at a good distance away; but my Morrow can take us anywhere in almost no time." "Morrow?" "She's a very noble pet of mine; follow me and I'll show you."

* * *

Finn whistled away as he viewed outward from the leafy, yet solid-like surface of the castle's strangely-placed tree from which the kingdom was structured around, its presence a small oddity to Finn as his sight gazed all across the Candy providence; from the inclosure of the kingdom's walls to the lush cotton-candy forests and towering rock-candy mountains; and further on, there were distant sights of an evergreen forest and several snow-topped ice mountains. "This is an algebraic sight, Princess; but I don't see no morrow up here." "I have to call out for her to appear before us, Finn. You might want to cover your ears when I do, though." "Why?" "I've trained my voice to be quite proficient, and it can be very shrill for anyone close by." "Oh." And with that, Finn placed his hands over his sides of his hat, where his ears would be, as Bonnibel cupped her hands around her mouth and let out a high-pitch screech, one that echoed from its first and last reflection.

"**KAAAAWL!**" came a faint bird call in response, one that grew closer until the very bird itself, a tremendously sized falcon with different shades of brown that themed its feathers, took her landing near and beside Finn and Bonnibel. "Shmowzow!" Finn exclaimed as Bonnibel approached the Morrow and softly petted feathers of her neck with the back of her hand, the bird cooing in response. "Isn't she magnificent, Finn?" Finn, however, was reluctant towards the bird, fearing he would provoke her into attacking him, "Ye-yeah, sh-she's real pr-pretty." Finn stuttered, a slight rumble emanating from his body. "It's okay Finn, she won't hurt you." Bonnibel assured Finn.

"Here," Bonnibel grabbed Finn's hand and placed it on the bird, the sensation of her silken feathers felt smooth to the touch on Finn's skin, "just take your hand and rub it along here, like so." Bonnibel instructed as she moved his hand across the Morrow's chest, "Be careful not to pull her feathers." Bonnibel released her hand from Finn's as he continued to pet the large falcon, moving up to her neck as the Morrow leaned her head to her left side, allowing him more access. Bonnibel chuckled softly at this, "She likes it when you pet her there." Finn smiled as he ran his fingers through the Morrow's feathered neck, "Haha, yeah; she's really soft!"

"Alright Finn, let's get the stuff out of here." Bonnibel said before climbing onto the Morrow's back; followed by Finn, with some assistance from Bubblegum, who pulled him up by arms as the Morrow lowered herself to assist the young human boy. "You should hold on to me before we take off; this bad baby is crazy fast!" Finn looped his arms around Bubblegum's waist, and with a soft pat on the side of the Morrow's neck, Bonnibel proclaimed the words, "Morrow; away!" The hawk screeched as she flapped her wings and arose from the tree-top's surface, before taking flight away from the Candy Kingdom and out into the very outer-lands of Ooo, both close and afar.


	8. Remember a Day, II

**Remember a Day, II**

Atop of Lady's homestead, Jake sat beside the rainicorn, her front-half stretched out from her bottom-half, her backside resting several feet behind her stable; Lady pressed down the strings of her viola with her left hoof, drawing her bow across its thick strings, producing a deep and mellow sound. "Just like that; now go a note lower..." "이 씨 제이크처럼?" "Yeah, you're getting it down! And you can just call me Jake, milady."

Lady let out a short giggle as Jake, with his viola resting in-between his jaw and shoulder, assisted the rainicorn by playing several more notes on a short scale sequence, making sure he wasn't too far ahead of Lady's instrumental progress; while their flow, being sluggish at first, the tones that sang from their violas gradually grew close to each-others peak, and into a near-synchronized level.

"_I wonder how Finn and P__B__ are doing __right about now__..._"

* * *

Before them both was a lightly illuminated trail, its continuing path leaving little knowledge towards its destination, based on Finn's perception. Various pieces of dated and inoperable tech and debris that could be spotted within both sides outside the pathway: several smashed and screen-cracked computer monitors, a couple of disassembled and rusting bicycles, a broken and possibly infested washing machine and, from how afar Bonnibel could see, a separated and unhinged car door resting on a group of boulders.

The sounds of their feet pressing on the ground; the crumbling together of small pebbles and the crackling of brittle tree limbs, to the rustling of dying leaves, coupled with audible chirps and squeaks from each of the forest's inhabitants. Closing his eyes for the moment, Finn allowed the nature of his surrounding environment envelop him in a passive surrender as he breathed in the clean, open air.

* * *

Taking rest at a nearby stream, Finn breathed outwardly through his nose before inhaling in the fresh oxygen into his lungs; taking in the sight of the forest-green leaves, their colors almost radiant as they waved along the current of the wind. "_This is.. really nice._" Finn thought to himself; letting his body relax along the grassy slope as he propped himself up from behind with his elbows, while his left knee extended upwards, his right leg laid out on the grassy ground, his foot pointing diagonally.

Finn rarely observed the sights of Ooo, even at its tranquil moments; a result from distractions that were associated with previous quests, which he himself concentrated on with undivided attention, or he was too distrait to maintain a perceiving eye onto the very lands themselves. An audible yawn could be heard to his right, one which came from under Bubblegum's breath as she sat next to him; her legs crossed together, her back giving away a slight slouch while her right hand remained in the inside of her hoodie's right-side pocket, as she circled her left index finger on a single blade of grass.

Bonnibel continued to toy with the gem betwixt her palm and fingers, her eye lids closed as she took in several deep breaths, as if she were in a meditative state. "_I-__I__ feel so __vulnerable__ out here..._" Feeling a tenuous tingle on her left hand, Bonnibel looked to her side to see only Finn's hand crawling close to hers, his pinkie timidly rubbing against one of her knuckles. Finn quickly drew his hand back upon Bubblegum's alerted response; Bonnibel, however, reached across with kid gloves and slipped her hand into Finn's, nearly-wrapping her fingers around it, as so.

Letting out a short and shaken puff of breath, Finn looked to Bubblegum, seeing a warmly smile that brightened her face; viewing into her eyes, however, he felt a much deeper feeling resonating onto him; an almost doleful emotion. Finn, however, could only smile back while his thoughts lingered on her very visage, and what he saw buried all under her-self with such willful suppression. "_She really is unhappy..._"

_*****__**swipe***_

"P-Princess?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright?"

"Of course I am, Finn; why do you ask?"

_***scribble***_

"I don't know, it's just.. you don't look too comfortable over there."

"Oh... I.. I just have a lot of things going through my mind right now; when you're in a position of utmost importance, like me, you hardly have time to travel wherever you please, or.. think for yourself..."

"Huh... I never would of thought of that."

_A view __from __down__ below beh__e__ld a shaded sky; the tree__s__ cover__ed__ it with their __near-broad__ limbs, their leaves only __sparingly __extending across, creating __noticeably __evident__ spaces in-between __each-other__; as brief __rays__ of sun __light__ beam__ed__ through the clouds, __as-__f__ar-as__ which they could __grow__._

"..I remember when there wasn't so much flora life here then there is now; it all seems like.. such a different time ago for me..."

"...When was the last time you came here?"

**when was the last time you came here**

** was the last time you came here**

** the last time you came here**

** last time you came here**

** time you came here**

** you came here**

** came here**

** here**

**...**

_'__**Has it been that long already?**__'_

* * *

_'__**The ground was never this fertile before. **__Sitting upon a worn tree stump, a young bubblegum-__candy __mutant by the name of Bonnibel, __as it was a title she could remember __herself being named, __wrote away __o__n the papers of her worn leather-bound journal, __her fingers slightly elastic as she struggled to keep her handwriting as pristine and aligned as possible. __'__**P**__**erhaps it is true that the age of the atom has finally passed, or it**__** has**__** already beg**__**u**__**n; **__**but even as I write **__**this**__**, there is so much out there that is still unknown to me. **__**If my travels **__**do**__** take me far, and I **__**do**__** have my doubts **__**about**__** this prospect, **__**I h**__**ope **__**that my recordings will assist me **__**or anyone **__**who**__** comes across this **__**journal,**__** if my body **__**or my mind**__** has **__**already**__** ceased **__**to function. **__**If you're reading this now, I hope you have better odds than I **__**did**__**.**__'_

_The sky __was a__ clouded gray, with an ominous sign of heavy rain __as __the air gr__ew__ dens__e__ and humid__; __Bonnibel took this as a sign to find shelter __from__ the __forth__coming weather, __as she __p__ack__ed away __her__ journal into her back-pack, t__a__k__ing__ with her a makeshift cane to assist __the __tottering support __that __her legs __w__ere__ hindered with,__ as she lifted herself __up and__ press__ed__ onward __to __wherever she could go, from which and how far her body would allow._

_Struggling her way__ through __the woods, __her legs catching at a few thorn-vines as she __ma__de __a few __pathway__s__ for herself, her direction leading her to a shallow stream of water; deep enough to where she could see __several__ small fishes swiming with its flow, their scales shining away kaleidoscopic __colors along their silver-streaked bodies. Intrigued by the patterns they displayed, Bonnibel knelled __carefully __near the stream and dipped her hand into the fresh waters, careful-as-to not to spook away the fish. Curious as to where th__is __pink-__handed__ intru__der__ came __from__, __a few__ of the surrounding fish __swam__ around Bonnibel's hand, __brushing__ up against her fingers as she giggled __away __at__ their ticklish-touch, __with __an__ occasional nibble __on her __finger__tips__._

"Princess...?"

* * *

Bonnibel consciously drew herself away from the vault of her mind, her awareness now back in tune with Finn's. If Finn had ever seen a candy person, or anyone else for that matter, have such a distant, dreary look of great longing and ruefulness, the one Bubblegum gave only reaffirmed his concern for her. Letting go of Finn's hand, Bonnibel placed hers over her face as she felt an episode of anxiousness come over her; closing her eyes as she tried to control her breathing, only to feel a nerve-racking-pressure begin to rise inside of her, or so she thought.

"_I shouldn't __of__ c__a__me __out__ here; what if my citizens are in danger? What if I __fall__ in__to __peril__ again? __And__ Finn... what if something happens to him? What will I do then?_" "I.. I'm sorry Finn... I-I-" Many questions continued to propound in Bonnibel's mind until she felt a light touch upon her shoulder; it was Finn's hand, once again. "Hey... why don't we hang somewhere else, instead.." "S-sure, Finn.. Wh-where did you want to go?" "Hmm... you like apple pie?"

* * *

The vapors of another baked apple pie escapes from an open oven door, its appetizing smell overpowering the indoor air of Tree Trunk's house; a home with a bungalow design, as it cleared out into the surrounding forest of apple trees, from out her window and into the wide and open clearing. "_A__nother __perfectly baked apple pie, if I don't say so myself._" Putting on oven mitts over her front feet, Tree Trunks removed the pie from the oven and placed it on her dinner table, making sure a heat-pad was under the pan.

As Tree Trunks turned the dial to it's off setting, the coils in the oven cooling down as their bright-orange color slowly changed to a rustic-brown, she heard a familiar sound; a bird, one that was not a song or part of a mating ritual; no, it was too ascendant and independent, intrinsic enough to come from a creature of notable significance; it was the Morrow. "_Oh dear; did I forget to pay my taxes again?_", Tree Trunks thought as she began looking through her home for her coin reserves.

"Hey Tree Trunks, are you home?"

"_...__Finn?_" His voice, lightly breaking in pitch; still as clear as apple cider, giving her a sense of relief, underlined still by her intuition. Looking out her window, she could see the young adventurer waving at her; until she took notice of a tall and pink figure, someone she had not seen in years; Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, standing at a few inches behind his left side, nervously looking away; upon closer examination, she could see the princess' hand wrapped around Finns'.

"_Oh my..._"


End file.
